Fertility

How Does Acupuncture Improve Fertility?

Today more and more couples are choosing acupuncture as a method of treating infertility. Acupuncture can be beneficial on its own in the treatment infertility, but it is also used as a complimentary therapy to modern fertility treatments.

There are several ways in which acupuncture can help improve fertility. First, it helps calm the sympathetic nervous system. This is important for two reasons: one, it reduces stress throughout the body, and two, it increases the blood flow to the reproductive organs. Acupuncture promotes an endorphin response that brings us a feeling of calm and bliss. This is important because it allows the body to put energy towards reproduction rather than coping with stress.

Related Studies
A recent study published in Fertility and Sterility reported that acupuncture can lead to significant increases in the number of normal sperm and equally significant reductions in structural defects. Though acupuncture didn’t seem to have an effect on reducing sperm abnormalities, it did seem to improve overall sperm quality, leading to the possibility of increased fertility.

The results from a German study conducted in 2002 indicated that adding acupuncture to the treatment protocol of IVF patients greatly enhances their chances of becoming pregnant. While the physiologic mechanisms by which acupuncture may effect the uterus and reproductive systems have not been identified, the researchers found that in practice, at least among their small study population, the technique worked.

Stressed Minds & Bodies Stifle Fertility

The adrenal glands share a common blood source with the kidneys and the reproductive organs. The adrenal glands are responsible for pumping out stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline in stimulating circumstances. These “fight or flight” hormones were originally designed to help us escape dangerous situations. Today most people don’t have to worry about running from a bear, but they do have to cope with other extreme stresses like traffic, negative media reports, demanding careers, all the while trying to start a family. Dealing with so much stress often results in the prolonged elevation of Cortisol and adrenaline levels. When this happens, the blood supply favors the adrenal glands over the ovaries and uterus. Therefore the reproductive organs are ignored and don’t function properly. Pelvic blood flow is important to the proper functioning of the ovaries as well as for the thickening of the endometrial lining of the uterus. Acupuncture is proven to calm the sympathetic nervous system and pull the body out of the “fight or flight” state to allow for the blood supply to reach the ovaries and uterus, and therefore, increase a woman’s chance of conceiving.

Regulating Hormones Promotes Conception
Women’s bodies are ruled by hormones. Prostaglandins are the hormones responsible for sending messages to the hypothalamus which, in turn, sends out neurotransmitters that tell the body to produce GnRH, a substance that informs the pituitary glands to release estrogen and LH and FSH. These hormones influence a woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels. This intricate hormonal relationship can be regulated by acupuncture and can increase the likelihood of conception by ensuring a woman’s body is releasing the correct hormones at the right times.

Acupuncture & Male Fertility

Often times when a couple is having difficulty conceiving, people assume it’s a problem with the female partner. But, just as many men as women experience issue with infertility. Although fewer studies have been conducted exploring acupuncture and male fertility, evidence does exist that shows acupuncture can have an effect on sperm production and quality.